With all the headlines and news stories on this subject now, you might be wondering where you can go for authoritative and accurate information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Medline Plus, and the World Health Organization may prove useful. At Medline Plus, they offer a “Go Local” search feature to find Swine Flu services and providers by state and county. The resources listed include clinics, doctors and libraries. The World Health Organization provides a swine flu faq. Health databases such as Health & Wellness Resource Center and Medline are available for searching from CADL (with a library card) and Mel.org. In addition, Mel.org offers a collection of Swine Flu resources including a link to the Michigan Department of Community Health.
Swine Flu Resources
April 28, 2009 at 6:22 pm (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, Libraries, Michigan eLibrary, National Institutes of Medicine, Swine Flu
What is the doctor talking about?
April 3, 2009 at 3:21 pm (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, Libraries, Michigan eLibrary, National Institutes of Medicine, Reference
If you’ve had any encounters with medical professionals over the past few years you may have noticed a shift in how 
the exchange of information is handled. The health care system used to be more paternalistic with the doctor laying out the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis all in one neat package. The system was doctor-centered and the patient’s role was one of trust and compliance. The doctor had the formal education and knowledge which the patient benefited from. Gradually though, a shift has occurred and our system is now patient-oriented where the patient is more of a partner in the diagnosis and treatment process. Patients are expected to ask questions, obtain information, consider options, discuss rather than just listen, and participate in decision-making. This is not to say that the doctor has been displaced as the knowledgeable and educated expert but rather to recognize that all patients now play an expanded role in their own health care.
In order to do this, both participants need to learn new skill sets - patients need to educate themselves about their condition, ask questions, keep notes; doctors need to engage patients, express empathy, listen. This shift in the relationship dynamics is recognized by the medical community and being addressed in training. For their part, patients need to know that they have many educational resources available to them via their local public library, medical libraries that are open to the public, subscription databases, and the internet.
In the mid-Michigan area the Capital Area District Library offers many books and magazines and databases. Sparrow Health Sciences Library is open to the public for finding quality medical information. Reliable internet sites like WebMd, National Library of Medicine, and Mayo Clinic, are also useful. So, if you find yourself in need of reliable medical information, don’t hesitate to utilize one or all of these resources to complement the information you receive from your doctor and other medical professionals.
Disclaimer: The above material is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis and advice.
Libraries Improve Health
March 27, 2009 at 1:38 pm (1)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, Libraries, Reference
The Campaign for America’s Libraries and Woman’s Day Magazine
The American Library Association (ALA) recently announced that the March 2009 issue of Woman’s Day magazine features an article explaining how 4 women used their local public library to improve their health. As part of a promotion partnership between ALA and WD, readers were invited to send examples of ”how the library changed my life.” From the 1,000s submitted, these 4 were selected to highlight the variety of resources and services public libraries provide. Dealing with a spouse’s health crisis, postpartum depression, blindness, and a cancer scare were what these women faced. They each credit their local library with playing a role in the successful outcome of their situation. Click here to read the full article online or visit your local Capital Area District Library to see the print issue of the magazine.
This latest initiative continues an eight-year partnership between the magazine and ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries that has generated millions of dollars worth of editorial coverage for libraries. Since 2002, Woman’s Day has asked its readers to write in about “how the library has changed my life,” “why I would want to be a librarian for a day” and “how I started my business at the library.”
From now until May 18, Woman’s Day magazine is collecting stories on how the resources found at libraries have aided its readers in saving money, finding jobs and providing necessary resources during tough economic times. To participate, women 18 and over can submit their stories in 700 words or less to womansday@ala.org Four submissions will be featured in the March 2010 issue of Woman’s Day. Click here for the official rules.
Healthy Reading Every Month
February 24, 2009 at 6:59 pm (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Consumer Health, Libraries, weight loss
In our efforts to cut back our daily expenses, maybe we’ve let magazine subscriptions lapse. Consumer Reports on Health, Diabetes Forecast, Mayo Clinic Health Letter, Nutrition Action Healthletter, Weight Watchers, Yoga Journal, and many others keep us informed, even entertained as we strive to achieve the best health for ourselves and our families. But at $40. or more a year each for 4 or 5 favorite reads, the savings from dropping or not renewing a subscription can be serious money and the difference between a balanced budget and disaster. But is that kind of economizing short sighted? Do we run the risk of not keeping current with health and wellness matters by dropping our paper subscriptions? Without these subscriptions are we doing enough to stay informed?
One alternative is to look online and fortunately, many health oriented publications have an online presence, including Mayo Clinic Health Letter , Yoga Journal, Prevention, Women’s Health, and Living Without . For many readers though, online reading isn’t convenient or possible and that’s where your local library can help out. The Downtown Lansing Library of the Capital Area District Library system subscribes to hundreds of magazines including over 25 dedicated to health issues, and, all but the current issue can be checked out for 3 weeks. You can search the library catalog to see if your favorite title is held and then stop by the library to check (literally) them out. Saving money is something we all must do at some point and taking advantage of the library’s “shared resources” philosophy enables us to do so without feeling deprived.
Library Usage Up 33% in Michigan
December 11, 2008 at 10:29 pm (General)
Tags: Capital Area District Library, Libraries, Michigan, technology
NBC Nightly News recently aired a piece that highlights how in tough economic times, more and more people are turning to their local libraries to get books, internet access, magazines, help in finding jobs, and many other services all for free. According to the report, there are more people in the United States with library cards now than at any other time since the ALA (American Library Association) started keeping statistics. Library usage is up all over the country, including here in Michigan where a 33% increase has occurred.
Recognizing this trend, the Capital Area District Library in Ingham County Michigan is conducting an online survey to find out how to improve online services. CADL is working to improve your online experience with their website and invites feedback from current library patrons as well as those not currently being served. Please share your feedback in this short survey, and be sure to enter to win a $25 VISA gift card.
